Keene Valley Fire District and Ambulance

Water Department

The Town of Keene has two water districts. Each resident within these districts are assessed a flat rate for the calendar year.

Water District #1 is the hamlet of Keene is currently assessed at $400 per year.

Water District #2 is the hamlet of Keene Valley is currently assessed at $425 per year.

Businesses vary - at a flat rate.

For service turn on or off as well as billing questions contact the Town Hall 576-4444.

Cemeteries

Within the Town of Keene there are 10 cemeteries. However, lots are only available for purchase in Norton Cemetery.

To purchase a plot you may contact the Town Clerk, Ellen Estes at 576-4444. The current fee for a 2-grave plot is $250.

For assistance in locating a plot or deceased relatives the Town Clerk may also be able to help.

Please note: As per the owner’s cemetery deed:

Any development or care of this lot shall follow the natural contours of the land which now exists. No retaining walls or fences of any kind shall be erected. No trees, shrubs, vines, or other planting shall be planted or placed in or on any lot or lots.

Only 1 monument (not to include individual markers) shall be allowed on a lot. That any headstone shall be located parallel to and 6 inches from the west boundary line and shall not be erected to a height greater than five feet from the ground.

Foundations for monuments shall be constructed and installed at least 5 feet below the surface of the ground and shall be constructed of concrete and stone.

No plots may be resold without first notifying the town offices.

Transfer Station

The Keene Transfer Station is located at 61 Town Shed Lane (off Schaefer Road).

Open: Sunday, Monday, Wednesday, Friday & Saturday 8:30 am - 4:30 pm

Closed :Tuesday and Thursday

There is an attendant. However, the attendant does not accept payments. Individuals who want to use the transfer station need to purchase punch cards prior to delivery.

The punch cards are available at the Town Hall in Keene, the Keene Public Library in Keene, the Valley Grocery, and McDonough’s Valley Hardware during regular business hours.

Anything not listed on the recycling guide (PDF link) is considered garbage and is accepted at 10 cents per pound.

Note: bulky items may be assessed at a flat rate.

For information call the Transfer Station at 576-4692

Assessor

The Town of Keene has appointed a Sole Assessor; Rich Maxwell. The new office hours will be Tuesdays from 8:00 AM to Noon and weekdays between 9:00 and 4:00 on his cellphone. His office is located beside the Community Center building, at the bottom of the driveway at 8 Church Street in Keene.

The New York State School Tax Relief Program (STAR) provides homeowners with two types of partial exemptions from school property taxes. If you earn less than $500,000 and own and live in your home, your're probably eligible for the STAR exemption. Basic STAR and Enhanced STAR information is available at www.tax.ny.gov/star or by calling (518) 457-2036.

Tax Collector

The Office of the Tax Collector has been rolled into the duties of the Town Clerk, Ellen S. Estes.

Any questions you may have can be directed to Ellen by calling the Town Hall or stopping by between the hours of 8:00 AM and 3:00 PM.

During the social distancing for the Coronavirus Pandemic, I will be working from home.

Payments can be mailed to me at Ellen S. Estes, Tax Collector, PO Box 245, Keene, New York 12942.

Any questions can be directed to me by calling 518-576-9790 and leaving a clear question and return telephone number. I can also be reached through email at townclerk@townofkeeneny.gov

Historian

The Town of Keene archives are located in the Keene Public Library. The town hIstorian, Bryeanna Villani, holds regular office hours at the library every other Saturday from 10:30 to noon, please see the town calendar for dates.

The Freedom of Information Act applies only to government sourced files and requires a request for information that you wish to review in reasonable detail to be submitted and approved by the historian before these documents will be made available to view. If your request is time sensitive, please include this information with your request and it will be acccommodated whenever possible. However, the archives will only be available to the public on regular Saturday library hours unless other arrangements are made by the historian.